The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota is planning to distribute 60,000 balloons for release into the environment next month. While STC respects and supports the important work that the Foundation does and understands their goal to create awareness of epilepsy, we do not support the releasing of balloons into the atmosphere, where they will eventually return to the ground creating a huge amount of litter and posing a great danger to wildlife. The Foundation claims their balloons are biodegradable and degrade as fast as an oak leaf. Even if this is true, balloons could still take up to four years to fully degrade - much too long a time for them to be around and potentially eaten by an unsuspecting animal. The Foundation also says the balloons will rise to an altitude of five miles before “brittle fracturing” into small pieces. This is a typical claim made by the balloon industry, but the over 32,000 balloons picked up on beaches during a 1999 cleanup would indicate otherwise - many return to earth intact. Many states, such as Florida, have banned balloon releases. This law is in effect to reduce litter and protect wildlife. Please join us in politely reaching out to the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and expressing your concern as well as suggesting an alternate way they could celebrate their important milestone.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 23:33:24 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015